Flow bean



13, 1932. G. s. FLANDERS ET AL 1,390,536

FLOW BEAN Filed Jan. 10. 1930 l N 2?? LA a Tm 7 f; f '7 ATT D F\N UsPatented Dec. 13, 1932 are GEORGE SPENCER FLANDERS AND MERVYN ALECKrrears raven, on uAnAoa Bo;

VENEZUELA, assrenons 'ro NAAMLOOZE vnunoo rso er nn araarsc ia PETRO-LEUM MAATSOHAPPIJ, or run HAGUE, unwrapsexus FLOW BEAN Application filedJanuary 10, 1930, Serial No. 419,9195, and in the Netherlands January16, 1929.

The invention relates to a method and a device for regulating the flowspeed of liquids in piping and suchlike.

It is known that for this purpose, e. g. in petroleum production,so-called flow beans are used, which in principle, consist of a shortlength of piping of smaller diameter than that of the main piping inwhich it is fixed preferably by screwing tight. As these beans arenaturally subject to great wear and tear, they are made easilyaccessible and interchangeable.

The present invention now relates to a method and device which reducesthe wear and tear to a minimum. It is based on the view that if athin,perforated plate is used as a flow bean, no cutting effect canoccur from the liquids nor from the solid substances such as the sandcarried along in crude oil.

The method according to the invention thus consists in that forregulating the flow speed of liquids in tubings and such like, aperforated plate is fitted at any suitable point in the system throughwhich the liquid flows. It is thereby of primary importance that theperforation is true-centred in relation to the pipe in which the plateis fitted.

The device according to the invention consists in principle of a tubesuitable for conducting liquids, viz. the known tubes which are used inthe transporting of the crude oil from the head of a well, which isprovided with a perforated plate, the thickness of which is not greaterthan required for safely withstanding the liquid pressure tending todeform or destroy the plate. The plate can be made in its entirety ofany suitable hard material, such as of metal such as high speed toolsteel, or of a plate made from a suitable, though softer material facedat the perforation with hard material. For practical reasons as for thesake of easy interchangeability, the plate can be fitted in or on ashort tubing length, or in a bean already known. Preferably the plate iswelded on. The dimensions of the perforation are in any case taken asthat which is necessary with a view to the required flow-speed in thepipe system. This can be ascertained by experiment. In case the plate isfitted on, or in a bean, the latter simply acts as a sort of eX- pansionchamber, whilst the plate acts as a flow bean.

The figure shows in elevation and partial cross section a flow beanaccording to our invention.

A suitable execution of a bean according to the invention is illustratedin the attached drawing. It represents an auxiliary tube which can bescrewed tight in the main tubing not shown by means of screw threads 2and nut 3. At the place Where the liquid flow enters the auxiliary tube1, the diaphragm shaped bushing 4 is fastened to nut 25, preferablywelded on. This contains perforation 5, which is lined with a ringshaped facing 6 of a wear resisting material, such as high speed toolsteel. The perforation 5 is true centred in relation to the bore of theauxiliary tube; the slightest deviation either in shape or location ofthe perforation in relation to the centre line of the bore, will produceconsiderable wear at this spot and can result in cutting through thetubing wall.

The facing 6 is placed at the outflow side of the plate because hereerosion occurs first. This may be accounted for by the fact that thefluid-jet entering the opening of the plate is contracted and during thepassage therethrough gradually increases in diameter. Consequently atthe entry side a ring-shaped zone of inert fluid protects the walls ofthe opening against erosion, which if at all, will take place only wherethe fluidjet again touches the wall of the opening, i. e. at the exitside. Even, if, through prolonged use, the inflow face of the plateshould be eroded, the facing would not be blown out of position, saidfacing being fixedly connected to the plate. Further it is not necessaryto use a plate having a facing since the plate can be made entirely of asuitable hard material. In practice both constructions have proved to beof great value and capable of resisting erosion much longer than theusual flow beans provided with a long channel.

WVhat we claim is:

1. Flow bean for regulating oil wells comprising a short length of pipewith a cylindrical axial passage and provided with external thread, anda thin perforated substantially flat plate fastened to the face of thepipe at the entry side thereof with its perforation coaxial with thepassage of the pipe, the diameter of said perforation beingsubstantially smaller than the diameter of said passage, so as to form arestricted throat.

2. A flow bean according to claim l,' in which the fiat plate isprovided with an annular piece of wear-resisting material sur roundingthe perforation of the said plate.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

GEORGE S. FLANDERSA MERVYN A. AP RHYS PRYCE.

